Alison’s Blog

These reflections were first offered on 27 August 2017 at a communion service in Dry Drayton and a service of Morning Worship in Caldecote in a series on ‘classic gospel stories’ (following the Revised Common Lectionary). The gospel reading for … Continue reading →

This article was written for Dry Drayton News, September 2017. The summer holidays have ended and new terms are starting. In the villages we hear again the voices of children in the school field. The farm fields are cut to … Continue reading →

This is one in a series of reflections under the title ‘Classic gospel stories’. It followed a reading of Matthew 15:21-28 and was first delivered in Hardwick and Dry Drayton churches in their communion services on 20 August 2017. This … Continue reading →

These are reflections I offered at a 9.30 service of Communion in St Peter and St Paul’s in Dry Drayton for Sunday 28 May 2017, the Sunday that fell in the period between Ascension Day and Pentecost and during the Archbishop of Canterbury’s … Continue reading →

Here are two ideas for exploring the Easter story at home this weekend. Some of you will have seen the animation The Super Cool Story of Jesus at the Easter Fun Morning in Hardwick. Following on from The Well Good … Continue reading →

This short article was originally published in the March 2017 editions of the village newsletters the Dry Drayton News and, in slightly adapted form, the Hardwick Happenings. Lent begins this year on 1 March. Here are some ideas for things to … Continue reading →

These book recommendations were first published in the Feb-Mar 2017 edition of Lordsbridge Life. Beth is interested in forming an informal discussion group after Easter with anyone reading Justin Welby’s book. Get in touch with her direct if you are … Continue reading →

Interested in photography? Looking for a project for Lent? Steve Radley, local priest and photographer is hosting a Facebook group called ‘Lent through the Lens’. Join the group for more details or look at the previous post on this blog. How … Continue reading →

Thank you to Beth (Revd Dr Beth Cope, Team Pioneer Curate) for our Ash Wednesday reflections this year in which she intersperses the bible readings set for the day – Joel 2:1-2 & 12-17 and Matthew 6:1-6 – with contemporary poems. Today … Continue reading →

Are you interested in photography? Do you want a project for Lent? Something mindful, contemplative and community centred? Steve Radley is a priest and a photographer. This is what Steve says about the project – Vision To help people both within … Continue reading →

Chalking the door is a modern take on an old tradition of praying for God’s blessing on a home and those who live there, remembering the wise men coming to Jesus’ house and looking forward to a new year. Bless … Continue reading →

The following note has just come through from the Diocesan Office The Children’s Ministry Training Course Come and be inspired! Learn new skills and develop your practice for working with children For all children’s leaders and part of the Authorised … Continue reading →

Dear all at St Mary’s, We really enjoyed spending our last Sunday here in Cambridge with you – worshipping with you and partying with you! It has been lovely to get to know you, particularly over the last couple of … Continue reading →

Originally posted on be the light: ?? I was recently commissioned to do a painting for a friend who was ordained in the Church of England. It’s based on the idea of how ancient Christian Celts would get into a…

The Sunday Club have this term been looking at some specific figures and thinking about how they served God, and how their faith in Jesus inspired them to do what they did. People like Martin Luther King, Mother Teresa and Mary Seacole. … Continue reading →

The Annual Parish Church Meeting (APCM) for St Mary’s Hardwick will take place on Sunday 24 April after church at 11am, coffee from 10.45ish. Papers for the meeting can be downloaded here. APCM 2016 Agenda APCM 2015 Minutes 2015 Annual … Continue reading →

In Dry Drayton last Sunday we welcomed Right Revd Stephen Conway, Bishop of Ely, to a buffet lunch to celebrate the end of the 14-year development and re-ordering project at St Peter and St Paul’s. Lunch was followed by a service of … Continue reading →

This summer we are delighted to be welcoming Beth Cope to the Lordsbridge Team as Team Pioneer Curate. A pioneer minister is someone called to be an entrepreneur in mission and whose main focus throughout their ministry will be on … Continue reading →

At Candlemas – 31st January – we held just three services across the 11 Lordsbridge villages instead of the usual 10 or so. We gave people the choice of where to go – to ‘worship with friends or to make … Continue reading →

Mark Fogerty who sometimes comes with his family to St Mary’s, Hardwick writes: I’ve talked about running the London Marathon for some years, instead I got as far as analysing it and convinced myself that it is do-able. So here … Continue reading →

Better late than never! Here are photos of the St Mary’s ‘scratch’ nativity from Christmas 2015. In a new venture for us we used the ‘No-rehearsal-nativity’ by Janine Gillion as the basis for the December All Age service in our small village … Continue reading →

Photos from Christmas with the worshipping community of St Mary’s Hardwick: (left to right from the top) a decorated window sill, carol singing around the fire, Christmas family fun morning (both photos), the donkey from the scratch nativity, candles in the dark … Continue reading →

Gateways, the new community gathering in Caldecote, had its ‘launch’ get-together on Sunday 13 December. We laughed and laughed, and then there were baked potatoes for tea! The cardboard box stable proved trickier to get up than expected despite Michael’s … Continue reading →

Ely Cathedral pilgrimages to reflect on what it means to be “People fully alive”. The following dates are available for parish pilgrimages at Ely Cathedral:- Tuesday, 1 December (with the option to stay on for candlelit Compline at 9.00 pm, … Continue reading →

All are welcome to the Lordsbridge School of Theology from 7.30pm on 25 October. This is part of a series on Ethics and is entitled ‘Living reality – life and death’. We will be exploring these issues with Revd Professor … Continue reading →

This is the third installment in the continuing story of a new venture in Highfields Caldecote. It began with an open meeting over a meal in the village hall in July. In the last two gatherings (Sept & Oct) … Continue reading →

“Invite someone to come to the church you love.” The Season of Invitation is a national campaign from the Church of England for the autumn. It is based on research, firstly, about the importance of personal invitation and secondly, that … Continue reading →

Have you ever tried playing Jenga with assorted cardboard boxes? That’s one of the activities that we did together on the afternoon of 23rd of August at the village hall in Highfields. There was lots of laughter, and no little … Continue reading →

Last Sunday afternoon – 19th July 2015 – we began a conversation about a new initiative for Highfields – something for families and real life, engaging with values and spirituality. This article describes that open meeting and the beginning of a conversation that … Continue reading →

Justin Welby wrote an opinion piece in the Times on Thursday on the theme of religious freedom and human wellbeing. His article entitled ‘Faith must be strong enough to take offence’ can be found here. It’s worth reading in it’s entirety. Here … Continue reading →

Church and Community Hall Survey
The St Mary’s Community Hall Survey is still open until the end of July. We’d welcome your feedback on how this building might be used. Please click on the link below to open up a short survey. Many thanks. Survey here.

Over the last few months we have been exploring possibilities for mission ventures across the villages of the Lordsbridge Team. One of these possibilities is in Highfields Caldecote. It won’t look like traditional Sunday morning church, it won’t even be … Continue reading →

This issue of the Team’s bi-monthly newsletter includes a message from Corin, the Team’s Curate, as he finishes his curacy; an article about Pippin’s: coffee and company in Hardwick as it achieves its first birthday; a tribute to Derek Tombs, … Continue reading →

You may have seen our article in the June Hardwick Happenings about plans for a church and community hall to replace the aging portacabin behind the church. We’d like a building accessible to all villagers with toilet and kitchen facilities … Continue reading →

In this report, Mike Booker reviews the year, starting by highlighting the principles of the Lordsbridge Team: The team is a network of worshipping communities, rooted in their local contexts The team works primarily through its worshipping communities, and enables … Continue reading →

This is a letter from Corin and Nicky Redsell. Corin has been the Lordsbridge Team’s curate for the last four years (a curate is an ‘apprentice priest’) and his curacy comes to an end in July. This letter explains what … Continue reading →

The Hardwick AGM (or APCM), will be held on Sunday 26 April 2015, at 11am in the portacabin behind the church. We are required by charity and church law to have this annual open meeting, at which church council (PCC) members and … Continue reading →

The Dry Drayton Church AGM (or APCM), will be held on Sunday 19 April 2015, at 3 pm in the Church. We are required by charity and church law to have this annual open meeting, at which church council (PCC) members … Continue reading →

Last Saturday’s Easter Fun Morning included Messy Church style Easter activities such as Easter ‘bonnets’, Easter gardens, egg decorating, and footsteps to the cross (ie cutting around your footprint in paper and together making a footprint trail along the aisle … Continue reading →

We had an interesting day on Saturday, as colleagues and I set up and staffed a stand at the wedding open day at Burwash Manor. Burwash Manor and their wedding venue ‘The Secret Garden’ is on the Lordsbridge patch so it … Continue reading →

The Easter Experience is a semi-immersive story telling experience that takes groups of children from the school through the stories of Holy Week and Easter. Our version has been put together by an excellent and hardworking team in Dry Drayton … Continue reading →

This morning in Dry Drayton at the All Age service for Mothering Sunday we explored the story in Luke 2 of when the 12 year old Jesus was mistakenly left behind the Temple by his family. After a fun and … Continue reading →

This short article will (hopefully) appear in Hardwick Happenings and Dry Drayton News in due course. I don’t know if prayer is your practice, or whether time to think is more what you need, or perhaps both. If you find … Continue reading →

The notes from the Lordsbridge prayer evening earlier in March can be downloaded via the link below. Please download them and use in your own private prayer or in small groups. Call to Pray in Lent 2015